Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 29: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

ANNTHILATION, Mrs. Bellamy’s, Number Six, where that butler Snape works, and after that Eight and Ten, but they’re marked ‘ closed.’ ” “The Falkinghams, Number Eight, have lived abroad for more than twenty years; and the sole heiress to Number Ten is Georgianna Davenant, a little girl of twelve, away at school,” the inspector in- terposed. “ That finishes the Mall on the south side, but starting at the western end again, a great house taking up the entire space opposite both Goddard’s and Orbit’s, and bearing two numbers, ‘ One’ and ‘ Three,’ is occupied by the Burminster family, who originally owned most of the block and were the moving spirits in having it inclosed with gates. Number Five is the Sloanes’. You met two of the three gen- erations last night—” ‘That ‘ll be the handsome, middle-aged flirt and the son who cut him out with Mrs. Bellamy,” McCarty observed. “How in the world—” Dennis’s lan- tern jaw hung relaxed, and the inspector glanced up quickly. “ Twas as plain as the nose on your face!” McCarty exclaimed impatiently. “ Let’s go on: Number Seven, next to the Sloanes’, is the Parsons’. That’s where this Benjamin Parsons lives, who you thought owned the hat Hughes was wearing, isn’t it, sir?” “Ves, That hat is still a factor in the case—don’t forget that!” The inspector bent again over the diagram and indicated the final space. “ This house, the end of the Mall on the north, belongs to the Quen- tin family, and two branches of it are fight- ing over the property. It’s been unoccu- pied and in litigation for some years. [’m going to call at Mrs. Bellamy’s now and interview her butler. Want to come along?” Dennis rose precipitately and stretched a long arm to the mantel for his hat, but McCarty said with quick decision: “We'll go through the gates with you, sir, so that you can square us with the day watchman; but I think we’d best prowl around for a while and not interfere with you. We might drop in at the Orbit house later to see if any of the other servants can talk a bit more than Ching Lee.” 319 “Tf you do, be sure not to mention the autopsy, nor the fact that it is even sus- pected Hughes’s death wasn’t a natural one,’ warned the inspector as they passed out to the stairs. “ Ill probably meet you there later.” They entered the Mall by way of the western gate this time, and the private watchman on duty now proved to be young- er and less obviously impressed by the dignity of his office than the one encoun- tered the night before. He had evidently been apprised of their possible coming, and readily assented to the inspector’s demand that his two deputies be admitted in future without question. When the official himself had proceeded to the Bellamy house, Mc- Carty turned with an affable smile to the watchman and tendered a cigar. “Have a smoke?” “Thanks; but Dll have to keep it till later.” He was a tall, muscular young giant, with a good natured, not too intel- ligent, countenance, and he grinned in an embarrassed fashion at the overture. Then the grin faded, and he added in low tones: “They haven’t brought Alfred Hughes’s body back yet; I’ve been watching for it all morning.” “Tt isn’t going to. be brought here; didn’t you know?” McCarty’s own tones were invitingly confidential. ‘‘ Mr. Orbit told Denny and me last night that he was arranging to have it taken to some under- taking establishment and buried from there. Didn’t he, Denny?” Not yet sure of his ground, Dennis con- tributed merely a nod of affirmation to the conversation, and after a disgusted look at him McCarty asked: “ What’s your name?” “ Bill—I mean, William Jennings,” the watchman replied promptly. “Well, Bill, you got a pretty soft job here, haven’t you? If you're going to patrol your beat to the other gate, Denny and me will stroll along with you. That’s all you have to do, isn’t it, except to give the eye to the pretty nurse girls of all the kids on the block?” Bill Jennings reddened sheepishly. “The better the neighborhood the less kids there are in it, did you ever notice CoOnnicloooks.Eo©